Is there still land to buy in Collin County, Texas?

Yes, but it is the most contested acreage in North Texas. Collin County is just under 900 square miles of Blackland Prairie north of Dallas, with a narrow band of Eastern Cross Timbers along its western edge, and it is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country. Almost every rural tract here is priced against what it could become, not what it currently produces.

What is actually left, and where?

The development frontier runs roughly with the tollways and US 380. West and south of that line — Frisco, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Celina, Prosper — acreage is entitlement inventory. The working land that remains sits north and east: Blue Ridge, Farmersville, Josephine, Nevada, and the ground around Lavon Lake.

Lavon is the county's water anchor. The Corps of Engineers completed the dam in 1953 on the East Fork of the Trinity River, about ten miles southeast of McKinney, partly to stop seasonal flooding of northeastern bottomland. Sister Grove and Pilot Grove creeks feed it. That quadrant is where hay meadows, cow-calf places, and horse property still function as land rather than land banking — though TxDOT's US 380 corridor work is reshaping east-west access, and where a corridor goes, conversion follows.

What does Collin Central Appraisal District require for ag valuation?

The Collin Central Appraisal District publishes agricultural land qualification guidelines. For livestock grazing, the district looks for roughly 10 acres as a viable operation and expects a minimum of two animal units grazing year-round. Acreage alone is not the test — animal unit carrying capacity is. For beekeeping the standard is six hives on the first five acres, plus one per additional 2.5 acres, up to 20 acres.

Those numbers are Collin County's, set by the district and not by the state. Denton Central Appraisal District next door takes a different approach — no minimum acreage except for beekeeping. Two adjacent counties, two standards. That is why "ag exemption in Texas" means very little without a county attached to it.

The statewide mechanics still bind: applications January 1 through April 30 on Comptroller form 50-129, late filing accepted with a 10% penalty on the tax difference, and a new owner must file a new application. See the ag exemption guide.

Collin County at a glance

How large is the rollback exposure here?

Larger than almost anywhere in North Texas, because the gap between ag value and market value here is enormous. Rollback under Tax Code §23.55 is triggered by a change of use, not by a sale. HB 1743, effective September 1, 2019, cut the lookback to three years, and HB 3833, effective June 15, 2021, removed interest from §23.55 entirely — a change of use on or after that date carries no interest on the rollback itself. Where market value is a large multiple of ag value, three years of that difference is still a serious number, and it lands on whoever owns the land when the use changes.

Negotiate it. Who pays, when the change of use occurs, and how it prorates are contract terms, not defaults. Our rollback tax page sets out the calculation.

Who governs groundwater in Collin County?

The North Texas Groundwater Conservation District, created by the 81st Texas Legislature with boundaries coextensive with Collin, Cooke, and Denton counties. The district administers the Trinity and Woodbine aquifers in this three-county block, and it distinguishes exempt wells from permitted ones by capacity — the district's published threshold for new wells is under 17.36 gallons per minute for exemption from metering, production reporting, fees, and permitting.

Confirm the rule with the district rather than relying on a listing, and ask whether an existing well is registered. Under Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day (Tex. 2012) you own the groundwater in place, but you produce it subject to district rules. See water rights in Texas.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still find 100-plus acres in Collin County?

It exists, mostly in the northeast quadrant toward Blue Ridge, Farmersville, and the Hunt and Fannin county lines. It does not last long and it rarely trades on agricultural economics. Expect competition from builders and land bankers on anything with paved frontage and utility proximity.

Does a Collin County tract with an ag valuation keep it after I buy?

Only if you apply. The ag history runs with the land, but a change in ownership requires the new owner to file a new application with Collin Central Appraisal District between January 1 and April 30. Miss it and you can face a full market-value assessment for the year plus a late-application penalty.

Do I need city approval to build on rural Collin County land?

Possibly. Much of the unincorporated county falls inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a fast-growing city, which brings municipal platting standards alongside county authority under Local Government Code Ch. 232. Confirm ETJ status before you plan anything — it changes the road, drainage, and lot-size requirements.

What is Collin County land worth per acre?

More than the agricultural use supports, which is the honest answer. Publishing a county average here would be actively misleading given the spread between the tollway corridor and the Fannin County line. We track current pricing by submarket and will share it for the area you are considering.

Sources and method

Sources and method

Texas Tax Code §23.51 et seq. and §23.55 (as amended by HB 1743, 86th Legislature, effective September 1, 2019, and HB 3833, 87th Legislature, effective June 15, 2021) · Texas Comptroller form 50-129 · Texas Local Government Code Ch. 232 · Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day, Tex. 2012 · Collin Central Appraisal District, agricultural land qualification guidelines · North Texas Groundwater Conservation District management plan and published exempt-well criteria · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lavon Lake · TxDOT US 380 corridor studies · Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas · Figures verified August 2026.

County appraisal districts set their own degree-of-intensity and acreage standards. Confirm current requirements with the appraisal district for the county your land sits in before you rely on anything here. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.

Collin County acreage moves fast and the rollback math is unforgiving. Talk to us before you write, not after.

More: North Texas land · Texas Land & Ranch · Buying land in Texas

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